Lost in Transmission
by d.e.Miller
Summary: Shran's secret attachment...
1. Blue Moon

  
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Disclaimer: Paramount owns Enterprise and its characters.  
Author: d.e.Miller  
Summary: Shran's secret attachment...  
Notes: This story picks up at the end of "Proving Ground". As this is from season  
three, UK readers beware of possible spoilers.

Rated PG-13 for suggestive imagery.  
  
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**Lost in Transmission**

  
The command center door swished, and Captain Archer entered. Hoshi   
and T'Pol were busy at the control panel, and he approached them.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Just before we went to warp, Sir," Hoshi said, "we received a transmission  
from the Andorians..."  
  
"It wasn't on one of their usual comm frequencies," T'Pol added. "It was   
encoded to look like subspace interference."  
  
The captain seemed confused.  
  
"Well, let's see it then."  
  
Hoshi pushed the appropriate button, and the large screen lit up with a series  
of schematics from the Xindi weapon. The program cycled through a mass of data,  
though it focused mainly on the sphere itself.   
  
Hoshi continued.  
  
"Apparently, they had time to take some detailed scans before they ejected it."  
  
"Judging from the clandestine nature of the transmission," T'Pol appended.   
"We must assume that the individual who sent this did not want to be discovered."  
  
A smile slowly spread across Archer's face, and his eyes brightened.  
  
"Get it to Star Fleet," he said, "as soon as possible."  
  
Hoshi nodded and quickly left for the bridge. The captain, still smiling, turned   
to T'Pol.  
  
"Why don't you and Trip join me for dinner tonight?" he suggested. "I have  
some Andorian ale you might like to try."  
  
The sub-commander did not answer, however, as she was seemingly still  
engrossed with the data.  
  
"T'Pol?"  
  
She glanced up briefly before refocusing on the small screen next to the  
keyboard.  
  
"Captain, I believe there is...something else."  
  
Archer leaned over her shoulder and craned his neck.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"There appear to be..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"There appear to be about a hundred or so additional images," she said,   
"but I don't think they have anything to do with the Xindi weapon."  
  
"Images?" Archer asked. "What kind of images?"  
  
Again, T'Pol glanced up briefly, then she pushed a button. The large view   
screen lit up with a picture of an Andorian woman - she was provocatively posed  
and quite nude.  
  
"Well, I guess that answers that," Archer mumbled. "Trip owes me a beer."  
  
"Captain?"  
  
"What? Oh, nothing..."  
  
T'Pol eyed him with muted suspicion.  
  
"The rest are similar to this one," she said. "Apparently, all of the images are  
some sort of Andorian...pornography. Shall I delete them?"   
  
She looked up at him, but he didn't seem to notice, then he nudged her aside and  
began browsing through the thumbnails on the smaller screen.   
  
"Captain?"  
  
"Uhh... No. Uhh... Not just yet," Archer fumbled. "As a matter of fact... Uhh...  
You know what? I'm sure that Phlox would find these...useful. I mean, they would  
add to his Adorian files. You know how he likes to...learn as much about a species  
as possible..."  
  
"I doubt that the doctor would be interested," T'Pol said flatly. "All aspects of  
Andorian physiology are well-documented in the Vulcan database, and I am sure  
that they are equally well-known on Denobula."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Shall I delete them?" she asked flatly. "Or would you like me to forward them  
to your quarters for further...study?"  
  
"What? Oh... No. Nope. That won't be necessary," Archer stammered.   
"Just go ahead and delete- Um... You know what? Sometimes...images...can   
contain encrypted information..."  
  
"That is true," she said. "But in this case, I believe it is highly unlikely."  
  
"All the same," he said. "I think you'd better get these to Trip for analysis."  
  
T'Pol eyed him with somewhat less-muted suspicion.  
  
"While I agree that Commander Tucker is a competent engineer," she said  
flatly. "I doubt that he would have the expertise to...uncover any hidden messages  
in these files."  
  
"What? Oh... Did I say Trip? I meant Malcolm. This is a security issue...   
I mean, it _could_ be. Who knows what's hidden in there? I'm guessing it's some  
important information about the Xindi defenses or something..."  
  
T'Pol blinked.  
  
"Lieutenant Reed would be even less qualified than Commander Tucker,"  
she noted. "If you want them analyzed, I would have to do the work myself."  
  
"I see," he said. "Very good. You, uh, get started on that. First thing in the  
morning..."  
  
"There's no need to wait," she stared. "It won't take long."  
  
"No, no," he said. "You've done enough today already... You look tired.   
Besides, it can wait. Your rest is much more important."  
  
"Very well," she relented. "I will forward them to my quarters and examine  
them when I get up tomorrow."  
  
Before the captain could raise another objection, T'Pol quickly clicked a   
combination of buttons. The images immediately disappeared, and a message   
popped up - "108 of 108 Files Sent to tpol@enterprise.shp", followed shortly   
by "108 of 108 Files Deleted."  
  
"Will there be anything else?"  
  
"Uh... No."  
  
"Then I will see you at dinner," she glinted. "Now, if you will excuse me..."  
  
"Certainly."  
  
T'Pol left the command center, and Archer stood there for a moment and  
waited. After a reassuring amount of time, he glanced around then quietly attacked  
the keyboard. He typed for a few fruitless minutes, until finally, he furrowed, grumbled,  
and started for the door. Shortly outside, however, he stopped and went to the nearby  
comm panel.  
  
"Archer to Ensign Sato."  
  
"Go ahead, Captain."  
  
"Hoshi, did you...send the, uh, weapons data to Star Fleet yet?"  
  
"No, Sir," she said. "I'm sorry. I was just getting ready to."  
  
"No problem," Archer said. "You are sending the complete file, right?"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"The data," he explained. "You're sending all of it? Just as we received it?"  
  
"Yes, Sir," she said. "Isn't that what you wanted?"  
  
"It is," he confirmed. "Just checking," then he added, "And, uh, Hoshi? When   
you do send it, though, uh, go ahead and forward me a copy."  
  
"But, Sir, it's the same information that's in the command center."  
  
"I'm aware of that, Ensign," he said. "I was going to send myself a copy while  
I was down there, but I...forgot."  
  
"Yes, Sir," she said. "I'll send it right away."  
  
"Very good," he nodded to the panel. "Archer out."  
  
He quickly released the button, smiled, then continued smugly down the hall.

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	2. Epilogue: Confidential

  
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**Epilogue: Confidential**  
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** From:** Captain Archer archer@enterprise.shp  
** To:** Commander Tucker trip.tucker@enterprise.shp  
** Cc:** Admiral Forrest forrest@starfleet.gov; Lieutenant Reed m.reed@enterprise.shp;  
Ensign Mayweather mayweather@enterprise.shp; Major Hayes hayes@enterprise.shp;  
Commander Williams dan.williams@starfleet.gov; Captain Thomas r.thomas@starfleet.gov;  
Captain Peterson janet.peterson@starfleet.gov; Captain Starling starling@excelsior.shp;  
Chef chef@enterprise.shp; Doctor Phlox phlox@enterprise.shp  
** Subject:** Andorian "strategic" information  
** Attachment:** blue_moon.zip (9.8M)

  
Don't say I never send you guys anything.

-Archer

ps. And whatever you do, don't tell _Sunshine_. (I'm talking to YOU, Phlox.)

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